Welcome to New York? Maybe! Taylor Swift fans are convinced that the songstress is gearing up to drop 1989 (Taylor’s Version) as her next album rerelease.
Taylor has been slowly rereleasing new versions of her old albums, starting with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April 2012, Red (Taylor’s Version) in November 2021 and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July 2023. Now, fans on TikTok have been speculating that 1989 is next on the list.
“With 1989, I was really putting my neck on the line, because I was the one saying I need to change directions musically,” Taylor told TIME in November 2014. “I didn’t want people to know the emotional DNA of this album. I didn’t want them to see a smiling picture on the cover and think this was a happy album, or see a sad-looking facial expression and think, ‘Oh, this is another breakup record.’ When I wanted to call the album 1989, people on the team questioned that. Every single element of this album has been called into question, and I’ve had to say ‘No, this is how we’re doing it.’ And the fact that we came out and did the kind of numbers we did in the first week — you have no idea how relieved I was, because it was all on me if this didn’t work.”
First released in October 2014, the album features classics like “Shake It Off,” “Style” and “Blank Space,” among others. Fans first started to speculate her work on a 1989 rerelease after the 2021 Grammy Awards when Taylor was spotted conversing with ex-boyfriend Harry Styles. The one-minute clip, which was shared on the awards show’s official YouTube page, showed the two engaged in a friendly chat. At the time, some social media users theorized that they were discussing a possible collaboration for 1989. Why that album? Well, it’s been widely speculated that multiple songs on the record — including “Out of the Woods” — were about their relationship.
Once Red (Taylor’s Version) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) were announced, the 1989 rumors briefly died down until the records were released. Then, as the Easter eggs started pouring in, more theories emerged. Most of which live on TikTok.
One eagle-eyed social media user uploaded the clip from Taylor’s “All Too Well” short film and explained, “The car in the ‘All Too Well’ short film was made in 1989!!!!”
Just a coincidence? Knowing Taylor, this was definitely more calculated!
“Can’t stop won’t stop being cryptic and weird,” Taylor commented on the post. “That’s just the beginning. It’s gunna be a fun week.”
Scroll through our gallery for all the hints that 1989 may be Taylor’s next rerelease.
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